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Realign your thinking to be a force against racism

When members of one group are interested in understanding the motivations or intentions of an "opposing" group, I am usually one of a few asked to go do intel.

By profession, I am an independent contractor who convenes disparate groups of people for dialogues on race and privilege, and in the context of "New Detroit," on gentrification and displacement.

I've always been a person who existed comfortably between two worlds. My background as a black person born and raised in a black city who was shipped to the predominantly white schools in the white 'burbs, I was set up, in the beginning, for a lifetime of dichotomous experiences: white/black, rich/poor, urban/suburban, activist/pacifist.

With this position, there is a public perception of safety when needing to delve into uncharted territory.

What I mean by that is that I'm safe. People know that they won't be vilified or judged for making an inappropriate comment or asking what could be considered an uninformed question.

Which brings me here. On social media last week, I shared my frustration with those who expressed "e-outrage" over large scale racial terrorism like the church shootings in Charleston but do nothing in their everyday lives to challenge the day-to-day racism that predicates these larger events that they profess to be so angered by.

Most people responded with a thumbs up, but some were defensive, asking how I could know whether or not people were activating outside of their Internet-safe space. Others asked what to do if they wanted to take action offline.

Sure, I could list off a bunch of websites to reference, or small daily disruptions one could engage in to be a good ally, but people are dying. We have to do more. We have to address the problem at a holistic and systemic level.

Before anyone can attempt to activate against racism and toward racial equity, one must understand and be willing to address the underlying system of white supremacy.

Most people don't align themselves with swastika-tattooed, combat-boot-wearing, skinhead extremists, so they think the term "white supremacy" has no place in their lives. But that's false.

The best way to understand how white supremacy operates in society is to think of it as the operating system that our brains run on.

A computer's operating system functions in the background, and we're usually unconscious of its existence, yet it serves as the platform through which all of our other "programs" are run. And that's the case with white supremacy: Even for people who don't actively promote or engage in racist or white supremacist acts can't help but view the world through those lenses. This thought alone will short-circuit most people's brains.

Trying to get your head around the notion that the way you look at the world, the way you've always looked at the world, may be skewed and that this skewed perception of reality and your subsequent actions and inaction may re-enforce a system that is ultimately deadly for certain groups of people, is a lot to process. But that's where we have to start.

Once an individual has mastered an understanding of this concept and commits to being an agent for change, his or her outputs will begin to change.

You won't need a list of ally activities to engage in or ally authors to read; your whole way of being will begin to shift. Your thought processes will begin to change, your conversations will begin to change, and ultimately, your actions will change. This is the best thing that any individual who wishes to be an ally can do.

The fact that you read this until the end, seeking a way to help or support the anti-racism movement would indicate that your transformation has already begun. Challenge yourself to stay the course. Peoples' lives depend on it.

Lauren Hood is a community development professional and equity advocate.